For Mychiller Christmas
“Frosty the Snowman” is one of the songs we associate with Christmas, even though it could be played in January because it’s about a snowman and not about Christmas. Our story starts with “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” that song was a hit when it came out in 1949 with Gene Autry. That song was made by Johnny Marks and Bob May (who also created the book). Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson were song writers and they wanted that sweet success they had seen Rudloph had.
They created a hit song and had Autry sing it and that song was “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” Yes, they made a hit Easter song to capitalize on that holiday thanks to Rudolph being a smash hit. They eventually did seek to make another hit Christmas song and that song was : one to have the Easter Bunny (Peter Cotton Tail), Santa, and Rudolph together like taking the three hit songs from Autry and smashing them together in madness.
Sadly, that song doesn’t exist. In thinking up a new song the question came to be “what if a snowman came to life?” Which does sound either charming or horrifying depending on the lyrics you choose. Now, snowman just don’t come to life so, they used the oldest concept : magic. The idea of this new song was Children put together a snowman and then magic brings it to life. Eventually, it all came together. They were planning to hold the song back and release it in 1951 because the 1949 hit , “Rudolph” could over shadow it in 1950. But they released in 1950 anyway, in November.
The song ,itself, had become a hit.
Due to the song being a hit, the marketing jump happened as expected. Golden Books made a book about Frosty.
Slightly Horrifying cover there
There was toys and things.
Frosty had made his appearance to television in 1950’s with an animated short by UPA, airing frequently on WGN-TV Chicago.
Frosty catches the spirit of winter as it’s about children making a snowman (which usually happens in winter) and that snowman coming alive and being good friend. Of course, being a snowman and heat being their sworn enemy (it’s nature folks!) and promising he’ll be back some day.
The song has been covered by many many artists. In 1969, a Rankin-Bass animated special came out which airs on CBS ever year , more on that on a different blog.
Anyway, There are many sources for this one I like to go to ever year is a book called “Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas” by Ace Collins. The book gives some good information about Christmas songs behind the scenes. This book focuses on the songs that are the hits we really are used to around this time of year. Check it out!
mychiller Extra 
Posted on November 30, 2019
0